Flake said Friday that he supports background checks at guns show but the so-called Manchin-Toomey measure was too broad.

Flake helped the Senate reject the measure on Wednesday despite strong public support for the change. The legislation sought to extend background checks to sales at commercial venues.

Flake says gun violence victims have brought a much needed sense of urgency to the gun control debate.

Gun violence victims are demanding an apology from Flake Friday during a rally at his Phoenix office. The victims include Caren Teves, whose son was killed last summer in a shooting at a Colorado movie theater.

Gun violence victims (their families and friends anyway) are demanding an apology from Flake but the sense of urgency comes from a stark awareness of the number of murders and suicides committed in the United States, dozens — every day.

I just watched the dedication of the room for Gabe Zimmerman. You were at the ceremony with Gabby Gifford. I find it difficult to believe you voted against the background checks. Did you read her Op Ed in the Times the day after your cowardly vote?She was talking about you.

You will never be able to prevent the mentally ill and/or the criminals from getting guns and killing people just because you have more strict background checks or try to prevent honest citizens from owning guns. All you do is make it more difficult for the honest citizen to protect himself and his family. We need to enforce the laws already on the books rather than constantly creating new laws. Officials often know who the bad guys are, but it seems they are only able to take action after a tragedy occurs.

Rather than admit that they fearfully follow the dictates of the N.R.A., these senators are instead seeking to fool voters by supporting measures with fancy titles and hollow cores. “Contrary to the ad, I did vote to strengthen background checks,” said Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, though he emphatically did not.http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/25/opinion/deception-on-gun-background-checks.html